Life's Revelations: Phone Connections
by Xennie.B
Summary: Life's Revelations #1  -  You don't have to meet someone face-to-face to fall for them.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

* * *

Ianto looked up from his paperwork as the phone on his desk rang. He blinked owlishly at it for a moment; who on Earth would be ringing him? He'd almost forgotten the phone actually worked. If his family wanted him they called his mobile and everyone in the building used the computer's vid phone application. Ianto glanced at the computer to make sure it was working; which it was. That only left an external source for the phone call.

Reaching over, Ianto answered the phone; trying to keep the confusion out of his voice. "Good morning, archives department."

"If you're not the one in charge I suggest you put him on the phone."

Ianto paused at the brash American accent coming down the line; why did he get the impression this wasn't going to go well?

"I am the head of the department. What can I do for you, Sir?" Ianto replied smoothly, not letting his annoyance at the man's brash manner show in his voice.

"I want to know where your department gets off archiving something into your collection as Torchwood One's property when you _**borrowed **_it from us last week!"

Ianto blinked in surprise, as far as he was aware there was nothing on loan from any of the exterior bases in the building. Everything they'd archived in the last week had come straight down from the retrieval teams and had Yvonne's signature on the paperwork. "I'm sorry to hear that, but I'm sure if this is a valid claim we can sort it out for you, Mr..."

"_**Captain. **_Captain Jack Harkness. Head of Torchwood Three in Cardiff," came the growled response.

Ianto rolled his eyes at the other man's attitude. Just because Ianto hadn't recognised his voice didn't mean that he needed to be reminded of his rank, where Torchwood Three was located, or his status within said organisation."Yes, Sir, I'm aware of where you work."

The amused snort down the phone line had Ianto smirking in satisfaction. At least the man had a sense of humour; maybe this conversation wouldn't be as headache inducing as he had originally thought. "Nice to see my reputation still precedes me."

"Of course, Sir; you're quite well known for causing problem for Ms Hartman. Now what was it that you were missing?" Ianto asked turning his chair so he could access his computer.

"A Sc'Tarmalk Scanner," Jack replied and Ianto instantly began typing away at his computer in search of the missing device. "I suppose none of you there approve of my stirring Yvonne up," Jack added, clearly attempting to strike up a conversation.

Ianto paused briefly at the more playful note to the man's tone and he had a sneaking suspicion he was being baited, but he had no idea why. Nor did he have any idea which was the 'correct' answer, so Ianto figured an honest response was the safest bet, "Not at all, Sir. I find it quite amusing to see my boss squirm, particularly when she's in the wrong."

The pause that followed had Ianto wondering if he'd just shot himself in the proverbial foot.

"You're not like the rest of her Lackeys. It's a nice change." The smooth friendly voice that answered surprised Ianto a little, he'd obviously passed the test and Ianto was surprised to find himself relieved. What did he care if another base's commander liked him or not; it's not as if they'd ever meet.

"Thank you, Sir. I do like to think of myself as an individual." Ianto smiled at the chuckle that reverberated down the phone line.

"So, why aren't you working for me? That gorgeous accent tells me you belong here in Cardiff, not over there with all those stuffed shirts. Plus, that attitude of yours might get you in trouble with the minions."

This time it was Ianto's turn to chuckle; the complete turnaround from the aggressive start to this comfortable banter both surprised and pleased Ianto. He'd always wanted to meet the elusive Captain having heard and read so much about him, but Hartman tried to keep as few people as possible from having contact with the Captain on his 'visits' so he was quite pleased to know they got along.

"Thank you, Sir, but I'm sure I can keep the minions at bay. Besides I don't think my girlfriend would approve of me running off to the mysterious Cardiff branch."

"A bit worried about image is she?" Jack asked and Ianto was curious by the almost disappointed note in the other man's voice.

"I would imagine so, Sir, since she works in the PR department," Ianto responded pretending he hadn't noticed the difference.

"Why does a secret organisation need a whole department for public relations anyway?" Jack snorted.

"I've yet to work that out, Sir; although she tells me it's very important," Ianto replied smoothly.

There was a comfortable pause as Ianto continued to work on the computer and Jack waited patiently on the other end of the line.

"You know, you don't sound very old," Jack commented after a while.

Ianto frowned in wonder at the sudden change of topic. "I'm not, Sir. But then voices can be deceiving. You hardly sound your age," the comment was out before Ianto could stop it and he wondered what look the Captain's face would be wearing as silence echoed back at him from the other end. He'd obviously surprised the other man.

"You're quite the clever archivist, aren't you? It's not easy finding that piece of information; I've spend a lot of years covering that up," Jack finally said and Ianto was glad to hear the man sounded impressed rather than angry.

"It wasn't easy, but it was possible, especially if the interest is there," Ianto replied coyly

"And what spurred this interest?"

"Curiosity spurred by a rumour." Ianto shrugged instinctively, then rolled his eyes at himself when he realised there was on one to see him shrugging.

"You really should be working for me," Jack stated, referring to his earlier comment about Ianto's employment. "You're going to waste locked in that stuffy office block. Just give me your name and I'll start the transfer."

Ianto chuckled. "I believe that would just agitate my girlfriend and Ms Hartman."

"You girlfriend loves you; she'll understand. Plus, there's no harm in agitating Yvonne; it's a fun hobby,"

Ianto's smiled faded at Jack's comment. He didn't care about Hartman; it was the comment about Lisa that hit a little close to home. Like Jack said, Lisa would be supportive in theory, if he were offered the job. She knew it was somewhat of a dream to work in his 'hometown' and she knew how unhappy he was working in the tower's basement. In reality, he knew that she would have an absolute fit.

"All I need is a name," Jack coaxed, mistaking his silence as hesitation.

"I believe your irritating Ms Hartman is what led you to your current situation," Ianto said, changing the subject completely. "She decided to get you back by booking your scanner into our archives personally," he continued to explain, pushing the subject of his transfer away to the back of his mind for the moment.

"That sneaky bitch!Though, if that's the best she can do, I haven't much to worry about," Jack replied and Ianto could almost _hear_ the smirk in his voice.

"Indeed," Ianto murmured. "I'll have this sorted out and the scanner couriered back to you by the end of the day," he continued as he printed the appropriate forms, ready to be completed the minute he got off the phone.

"You're not going to bring it down yourself?" This time Ianto _could _hear the pout in the man's voice.

"It's easier to resist the temptation if you're not faced with it," Ianto stated. If only Jack knew how true that statement was; how close he was to actually getting Ianto to Cardiff."Fair enough," Jack conceded, failing to keep the disappointment from his voice. "Thank you for all your help," he added. .

Ianto almost gave in right then; almost told him his name and asked for the transfer, but he stopped when he heard a gentle knock on his door. Looking up, he saw Lisa standing before him with an expectant smile as she waited. He knew he couldn't leave, not yet. He had responsibilities in London, so he'd have to stay. "You're very welcome, Captain. Feel free to call me on this number if you have any other problems, Sir."

"Oh, I'm sure I will."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

* * *

Jack watched from his office window as his team mulled about, doing just enough work to keep them busy. It was a quiet day and, while it brought them a much-needed rest, it also brought a load of boredom and paperwork.

Leaning back in his chair, Jack reached for the phone and, without thinking, dialled an all too familiar number. He waited the usual two rings and smiled when the phone was answered before the third.

"Sorry, Jack, I don't have time to talk right now."

Before Jack could say anything, he was listening to the dial tone; he hadn't even opened his mouth and he'd been hung up on. Not that he wasn't used to being hung up on, but it was usually after he'd said something to warrant the action.

Jack frowned at the phone as he replaced the receiver. He wasn't angry - which was uncommon after being hung up on - but he was worried that something was wrong with the other man. He would never have hung up on him like that just because he was busy. Hell, Yvonne Bloody Hartman had been standing in his office one day when Jack had called and they'd still managed a short conversation and an 'I'll call you later'.

Jack leaned back in his chair resisting the temptation to call the man back. He'd come to find himself relying on the other man's opinion and support - both professional and personal - more than he was willing to admit.

Somehow, without Jack noticing, the archivist had managed to worm his way under Jack's skin and into his heart. Jack cared for the man though he wasn't quite ready to announce it. Especially since said man was in a relationship and if there was one thing Jack would never do, it was come between a committed relationship. Back home in the fifty-first century relationships were something to be treasured, and it was taboo to come between a committed couple. It was how he had been raised and something he believed in, no matter how much of a temptation the other man was becoming.

Rolling his chair back across the room, Jack peered through his door into the Hub. "Tosh, can I borrow you for a minute?"

Jack waited just long enough to see Tosh nod, before rolling back to his desk as he waited for Tosh.

The petite Asian woman walked into Jack office and perched herself in the chair opposite Jack, waiting for him to tell her whatever it was she was needed for.

"Ok," Jack said, resting his folded hands on the deskin front of him and smiling at Tosh, who raised an eyebrow at him. "I need you to do me a favour. I'm going to ring someone who just hung up on me and I need you to pretend it was you who just called."

Tosh stared at Jack for a moment. "This person who hung up on you wouldn't happen to be Tag would it?"

"Tag?" Jack asked in confusion, he had no idea who Tosh was talking about.

Tosh smiled at his confusion before explaining, "We got tired of calling him 'that archivist guy from Torchwood One' and since you two are playing your name game, we figured a nickname wouldn't go amiss."

"And 'Tag' was the best you could come up with?" Jack asked, raising an eyebrow as he studied her.

"We came up with others, but in the end we decided that an anagram was probably safest. You don't want to hear some of the names Owen came up with," Tosh shrugged.

"Do you guys really talk about him that much that he needs a name?" Jack asked, still amazed by Tosh's revelation. None of them had even talked to the other man - let alone met him; why on earth would they talk about him so much?

"Jack, he's helped us on cases, you talk to him at least twice a week and I swear you mention him almost daily," Tosh smiled watching in amusement as her boss fidgeted in his seat.

"Oh," Jack muttered fighting back a blush.

"Besides, if our Captain's going to fall for a guy none of us have even met, you can bet we're going to talk about him," Suzie added, walking into the roomand placing a file on the desk in front of Jack.

"I haven't fallen for him," Jack denied unable to stop the blush this time. Even he didn't believe the words he was saying.

"Then, why aren't you angry about being hung up on? If anyone else did that, you'd be calling them back and tearing them a new one," Suzie said, her arms folded across her chest as she looked down at her boss.

"I... He… I…" Jack spluttered. "Don't you have work to do?" he eventually snapped, glaring at his second in command.

"I can't do anything until you sign that for me," Suzie said, indicating to the paper she'd placed on his desk.

Jack grabbed his pen and quickly signed the forms before handing them back to Suzie who turned and left without saying another word, closing the door behind her.

"Ignore her, I think she's jealous," Tosh stated, tearing her eyes away from the door and looking back at Jack. "So, what exactly do you want me to say when I ring?" she asked, reaching out and arranging the phone so that it was sitting in the centre of the desk.

Jack reached out and squeezed her hand briefly. "Just be yourself," he whispered, before dialling the number he knew by heart; pressing the speakerphone as an afterthought.

After two rings the phone was answered by an annoyed sounding Welshman. "Damn it, Jack; this had better be important!"

"Hello?" Tosh asked tentatively, throwing Jack a questioning look wondering just what was going on between the two men.

There was a moment of silence before the voice on the other end of the phone said, "You're not Jack." Jack had to bite back a laugh at both the other man's tone and Tosh's scolding look.

"No," Tosh agreed. "I'm afraid not,"

The sigh that drifted over the line wiped away Jack's amusement immediately; he sounded both stressed and tired. "I'm sorry about that. It's been a really bad day, and the only person who ever calls this number is my... friend, Jack."

"That's ok," Tosh replied trying to reassure the other man as best as she could.

"He always said that assuming it was him would get me into trouble one day," Tag replied and Jack's frown deepened a little further; from the time they'd spent talking he just didn't seem like the type of person to be this chatty with a total stranger.

"Well, I promise I won't say anything, " Tosh offered. The look on Jack's face was enough to tell her that something was wrong with the other man.

"Thanks," Tag replied.

"Are you okay?" Tosh asked boldly. Refusing to look at Jack's startled face, she kept her eyes on the phone, waiting as silence followed her question.

Finally the answer came softly, "Not really."

"Then, why don't you want to talk to me about it?" Jack asked, unable to stay quiet any longer once he heard the confirmation that something was definitely wrong.

"Jack?" came the surprised response.

"I had to get you on the phone somehow," Jack replied, his voice little more than a whisper. He knew that Tosh was watching him curiously, but he didn't care; he trusted her to keep whatever she saw or heard to herself, regardless of how much the others questioned her about their boss' personal life.

There was an almost sad sigh from the other end and a scuffling which Jack had come to learn meant he was putting down whatever he was doing and settling back into his chair. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Jack smiled slightly, hoping it would carry in his voice somehow, since it couldn't be seen. "Thanks Tosh," he added, looking up at the technician who gave him a smile and moved to leave the office.

"It was nice meeting you, Tosh," the voice on the other end of the line called. "I'm sorry I yelled at you."

At the door, Tosh paused and smiled. "You're already forgiven," she assured him, turning so she was facing the phone to ensure he could hear her better. "I hope things get better soon," she added, glancing at Jack one last time before she slipped out of the office.

When the door closed behind her, Jack reached out and grabbed the receiver so he could talk to the other man properly. "I can't believe you stuck Tosh on me. Do you know how bad I feel for yelling at her?" Jack couldn't help grinning at the tone and he knew that he was being scowled at.

"At least you didn't hang up on her too," Jack teased; but hearing another small sigh he realised that was a sore spot for the young man at the moment.

"I hung up because I didn't want to yell or fight with you. The way I'm feeling right now, it's likely to happen."

"It's okay," Jack assured him. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.

He hesitated, "Not yet."

"Ok..." Jack agreed, understanding that the subject needed to be changed. "Did you know that my team have named you?" he asked, hoping that it would cheer his friend up.

There was an amused chuckle on the other end of the line and Jack couldn't help but smile as well. "You talk about me that much, do you?" Jack grinned and relaxed, hearing the happier note in his voice for the moment.

"Apparently," Jack muttered.

"What name did they come up with?" he asked curiously.

"Tag. It stands for Torchwood Archivist Guy."

The laughter that drifted down the line made Jack's worry lift a little more. Whatever was bugging his friend couldn't have been a total disaster if he could laugh like that.

"I suppose it could be worse," Tag commented in amusement.

"So, apart from whatever's bugging you, how's my favourite archivist?" Jack questioned casually, glad that the tension seemed to have left them for the moment.

"I'm the _only_ archivist you know, Jack. That hardly makes me your favourite."

"I'm sure that if I knew others, you'd still be my favourite. You'd be my favourite forever, in fact," Jack replied, nodding his head even though he knew it couldn't be seen.

"At least I know you won't leave me, then," came the teasing reply, but it was laced with so much pain that even a total stranger could have picked up on it.

"What...?"

"Lisa left me, Jack," he whispered dejectedly.

Jack sighed and slumped further into his seat, various emotions washing through him. Sadness for his friend who obviously sported a broken heart, and anger at Lisa for causing it. At the same time, he was feeling a swell of something else… He was relieved and a little hopeful. There was nothing stopping their relationship developing further now that Lisa... Jack shook his head, quickly squashing those emotions; he couldn't think like that. Tag wasn't going to be interested and, right now, he needed to help his friend out - not hurt and confuse him even further.

"Are you ready to talk about it?" Jack asked after the silence continued a little longer.

"I think so," he whispered.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

* * *

Ianto stared at the data displayed across his screen. Inside he was battling an internal war as he tried to decide what he should do. He knew the Sphere was something Jack was worried about and now Hartman had started the experimentation on it; trying to open it, when they didn't even know what was inside.

He knew that Jack received a weekly report from Torchwood One - just as the tower did from Torchwood Three and Two - but Ianto also knew that the report had already been sent the day before. Hartman had timed it perfectly, so that she would have a whole week to experiment on the device before she needed to report their actions to the other Torchwood bases.

Ianto wasn't a snitch - and Jack had never asked him to be - but if it was as dangerous as Jack feared he needed to know. He was the only one who had a chance at stopping Hartman.

Picking up the phone, Ianto quickly dialled Jack's number from memory and waited for the gruff American accented voice to answer. He felt a bolt of surprise when a woman answered; it wasn't even Tosh, who he'd been talking to while Jack was on call. They're become quite good friends though their phone conversations and even found that they had very similar tastes in book and films.

The new voice had a rough, bored tone to it, and by process of elimination, Ianto determined that the owner of the voice could only be Jack's second in command, Suzie Costello.

"Hello, I'm looking to speak with Captain Harkness. Is he available or out on a mission?" Ianto asked formally, not comfortable talking casually with someone he didn't know. "He's out," Suzie answered. "But if you give me your name I'll get him to call you back?" she offered.

"Oh, could you just tell him that Tag rang?"

The was a pause on the other end, before a thoughtful hum drifted through the line. "You don't sound like what I thought you would."

Ianto blinked in surprise, not quite sure how to take her statement. "How should I sound?" He asked curiously.

"Not sure. Older, I guess; maybe a little more self important – just like the rest of them at the tower," she responded and Ianto could practically hear the shrug in her voice.

"I'll make sure to practice for next time, then," Ianto replied smoothly, smiling a little at the amused snort on the other end. Jack had told him about all his team; the brilliant, quiet Tosh, the snarky, broken doctor, and the elusive and private Suzie. He'd said all of them would come across a little distant at first, but once they warmed to him they'd be as friendly as ever; they were the most loyal team Jack had ever had.

"I didn't expect you to have a sense of humour, either," Suzie stated. "Jack usually just likes them to look pretty."

Ianto tried not to bristle at that comment. Although, he did change his mind about Suzie; maybe she wasn't beginning to thaw just yet. "Well, I guess I'm the exception to the rule, since Jack doesn't actually know what I look like."

"How do you know that he hasn't looked at your personnel file? He might not know your name, but he knows your position; it wouldn't be hard for someone with his clearance to work it out," Suzie replied, although there was no real nastiness in her voice - which bothered Ianto even more that it should.

"I trust him," Ianto replied defensively.

"You hardly know him," Suzie stated. "Look, he's not who he says he is, kid. Be careful what you get yourself caught up in," she cautioned, her voice softening slightly.

Although, that didn't didn't help to fend off the anger that had risen in Ianto. "Maybe it's you who doesn't know him!" he snapped.

Suzie snorted with laughter and Ianto ground his teeth to stop himself from lashing out at the woman even further.

"If you want to talk to the Captain, why don't you just go upstairs?" Suzie snorted.

Ianto opened his mouth to answer, before pausing in surprise. "He… He's _here?_"

Without giving Ianto any warning, Suzie began to rattle off a mobile number, which Ianto scrabbled to scribble down. "Maybe you don't know him as well as you think you do," Suzie commented. "If you didn't even know he was in London today."

Ianto was about to retort that he was sick of listening to a woman who certainly didn't know either of them, but all he heard was the dial tone as Suzie put the phone down on him.

Ianto stared at the barely legible mobile number in front of him. They'd only ever talked through their work phones before and having Jack's mobile number seemed somewhat personal; almost like they were taking another step in their friendship Since his breakup with Lisa Ianto and Jack had been getting closer and were almost to the point that they were practically dating. They certainly flirted like they were together and there was little they couldn't - or wouldn't - talk to each other about anymore.

Can you date someone you've never even seen? Someone who doesn't even know your name? Ianto wondered. He supposed it was possible; not very practical admittedly, but still not unheard of...

Ianto shook his head; he was getting ahead of himself. Jack could be on a completely different path to him and it was probably the only thing they hadn't talked about.

Ianto dialled the number and leant back in his chair as he waited. He was was just about to hang up, when a familiar voice finally answered, "Hello gorgeous."

Ianto smiled at the pet name, Jack had been letting them slip a little more lately plus the only way Jack could have know it was him was if the other man had memorised his number. Both things warmed Ianto somewhat after Suzie's cold comments earlier. "I called the base, but you weren't there. Suzie gave me your mobile number; you don't mind, do you?" Ianto asked, he doubted there would be a problem but he still wanted to check just to make sure.

"Of course I don't mind," Jack assured him. "I had to run out on a quick business trip; it was a last minute, early morning thing," he added smoothly. There was something in Jack's tone that had Ianto wondering just who was near the Captain that meant he couldn't just come out and say what he wanted to.

"Where to exactly?" Ianto asked sweetly, trying to see if he could get the Captain to admit where he was.

"To see an old friend," Jack replied. The amusement in his voice told Ianto that he knew he'd been found out.

"You're here," Ianto stated.

"Yeah, but I've got time to talk," Jack replied even though it was painfully clear the other man was busy. He was obviously trying to piss whoever he was with off.

Ianto paused when he heard an annoyed snort in the background; a very _familiar_ annoyed snort. "You're with Hartman?" Ianto asked, even though he already knew the answer

"What gave me away?" Jack chuckled.

"I can hear her from here," he stated. "You're such a stirrer," Ianto reprimanded, a smile curling the corner of his mouth.

"You love it." Jack leered playfully.

"You're going to get yourself in trouble," Ianto sighed.

"Really," Jack purred. "Are you going to spank me for it?"

Ianto paused for a beat, trying not to focus on the image that Jack had conjured in his mind. "How red is Hartman, right now?"

"Oh, I wish I could show you," Jack laughed.

"You could always have Tosh send me the CCTV images later?" Ianto suggested with a laugh.

Jack murmured his agreement and Ianto chuckled lightly. "Listen, Jack, I rang you to tell you about something. They've started experimenting..."

"I know," Jack cut him off, before he could finish explaining.

"You know?" Ianto stated, unable to keep the surprise out of his voice. "How did you find out? I'll bet it was Tosh," he said, smiling when realisation dawned on him; he should have known that Jack would have Tosh keeping an eye on things.

"She's a very clever lady," Jack agreed. "You didn't have to ring me about it, though," he added, his voice softening a touch.

"I know I didn't, but I think you're right about it being dangerous. I don't believe Hartman when she rattles on about it being the 'key to the empire'. Her obsession is starting to worry me," Ianto explained, turning his eyes back to the information before him. How the woman could think that creepy Sphere was good was beyond his understanding.

"It worries me too. I just hope I can sort it out, before it triggers something worse," Jack sighed

"Me too."

"Thank you for calling me, though," Jack murmured. "Thank you for trusting me; it means a lot."

Ianto smiled, hearing the change in the other man's voice. It was as though the two of them were standing in a room together; not having covert conversations over the telephone with the 'devil' lurking in the background.

"Will you be able to meet me for coffee while you're here?" Ianto asked boldly. "We can have a conversation face to face for a change," he added, trying to ignore the butterflies that had decided to take up residence in his stomach.

Jack sighed on the other end and Ianto already knew what the answer was likely to be. "I really wish I could. But you know the attention I draw when I come to town; people just can't keep their eyes off me," His voice sounded cheerful but Ianto could hear the tension behind them.

"You're worried they'll turn on me if they see us together," Ianto stated, knowing what Jack was trying to say. "They'll think I fed you the information."

"Yeah," Jack sighed heavily.

"I understand," Ianto replied, trying to keep the disappointment out of his voice; although, he suspected he'd failed somewhat.

"I wish-," Jack began but Ianto cut him off,

"I know; trust me, I know. Next time you come here, we'll make sure it's just for a visit, without any of this work rubbish getting in our way."

"Sounds perfect. It's a date, then," Jack replied, clearly happier with the new outcome.

"Brilliant. We'll give her a few weeks to cool her temper, and then plan something. Now, you should probably get back to being a hero and stop pissing her off."

Jack sighed reluctantly, "I suppose you're right. I'll call you when I get back."

" I want to know how it goes," Ianto stated, nodding his head to himself. "Jack?"

"Yeah?" Jack asked curiously

"Stop her before she kills us all," Ianto pleaded.

"I'll do everything I can," Jack promised and Ianto grinned widely. With Jack on the case things would work out; he was their best defence against Hartman and Ianto knew he wouldn't back down until he'd won.

"Bye, Jack; stay safe," Ianto almost pleaded.

"See you, handsome. We'll work out our date soon," Jack responded, hanging up the phone. Ianto placed the phone back on the cradle, and couldn't help grinning like a fool. Maybe he and Jack were heading in the same direction with their relationship after all.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

* * *

"Jack, they're everywhere!" Tag's voice was strained with fear and Jack could hear chaos erupting around the young man.

"Tosh, how many exits are there out of the London archives?" Jack asked, rushing up behind the Asian woman. Nearby Suzie and Owen were both typing away at their computers, trying to find any information they could about the Cyberman invasion that was happening all over the world.

Tosh was focusing on the war occurring in London; the war that Yvonne caused by refusing to listen to Jack and continuing to work behind his back on her precious project. "Just the main one and the service lift," Tosh whispered, her eyes flicking up to Jack.

"What about-?" Jack began to ask before Tag cut him off.

"I can't use the service lift," Tag argued. "It's too noisy; it'll lead them straight here," Tag replied and Jack could hear him shuffling through something. Abruptly the shuffling stopped and Jack heard screaming on the other end of the line.

"Shit, Jack. They're getting closer, they… God, they've got everyone," Tag whispered and Jack couldn't help but sharing his pain. They'd heard Tag send the staff to look for weapons, and hiding places they could defend, anything that might help them while Jack and Tag searched for an exit to get them all out – even though Jack was still in Cardiff.

"You can't do anything to help them; it'll only get you killed if you try," Jack replied evenly, making sure to keep his eyes locked on the screen so he couldn't see the tears running down Tosh's face as she listened to the phone conversation through her earpiece. "I can't just sit here!" Tag cried.

"I know it's hard, but you have to. You need to find somewhere in the archives to hide. Hide until it's over or until we can get there," Jack said, leaning over Tosh's shoulder so he could study the plans of the Tower's archives on the screen, looking for anywhere that Tag might be able to hide.

"I can't," Tag denied, his voice hitching.

"Please..." Jack begged. "I don't want to lose you," he whispered, aware that his team were watching him, but he didn't care; he just needed the man he was quickly falling for safe.

"You promise you'll come?" Tag whispered after a moment.

"As fast as I can," Jack swore, trying to put as much sincerity in his voice.

There was a loud crash and Tag swore as a series of smaller crashes followed, before the unmistakeable sound of metallic footsteps approached.

"Hurry!" Tosh cried, unable to stop herself before Jack could get the word out.

"YOU WILL COME WITH US. YOU REQUIRE UPGRADING!" Jack's heart froze at the metallic voice.

"No," Tag hissed and Jack could envision him scrambling away from the metal monsters as they heard his shoes squeak on the floor.

"IF YOU DO NOT COME, YOU WILL BE DELETED."

The loud bang of a metal door slamming shut made him jump in shock. "Fuck, that was close! I don't know how long this door will hold them back Jack," Tag breathed.

"That won't hold them," Jack stated, as he heard the Cybermen pounding on the door.

"I gathered that. I know where I can hide I just needed to slow them down," Tag replied. As he ran, the pounding grew quieter as he got further from the door.

"How close to the hiding place are you?" Jack asked staring at the speaker as if he could see through it to the man on the other end.

"I'm nearly there!" Tag cried, relief evident in his voice.

Jack had almost relaxed when there was a loud crash and the footsteps and hollow voices returned. "DELETE! DELETE! DELETE!"

Clearly, Tag's barricade hadn't been enough and they'd made it through the door. Judging by the volume of their voices and footsteps, they were also getting way to close to Tag.

Jack was about to tell him to hurry, when he heard Tag cry out in pain. Jack winced when he heard the phone clatter to the floor. The device must have shattered, Jack realised when a silent line sounded, leaving him with a feeling of ice in his stomach.

"Tag? Tag?"

* * *

Tosh and Jack arrived in London in record time, taking in the carnage left behind after the Cybermen and Daleks had disappeared. Owen and Suzie were helping the people of Cardiff, knowing UNIT would have London covered. The damage had been bad in Cardiff - the Cybermen had been rounding people up all over the world, damaging everything in their wake - but it hadn't been a war zone. Not like London.

Jack had wanted to leave Tosh at the Hub; not wanting her to witness the destruction one stupid woman's mistake had raked across the country. Tosh hadn't let Jack talk her out of going to London; instead she had demanded to accompany him while he looked for any sign of Tag.

When they got to Torchwood Tower there was still smoke emitting from several windows; although, it looked like most of the fires had been put out. UNIT was already on the scene, starting the clean up. Rows of covered bodies lined the paths outside the tower and Jack felt the ice that was already in the pit of his stomach spread. Seeing Jack's distress, Tosh slipped her hand into his and offered him a small, comforting smile.

Finally, someone noticed them and they were bustled into the over-sized command tent which was occupying the sealed off road.

On the way there Tosh had tried to hack into Torchwood's mainframe while Jack drove, but the entire thing had been locked down and sealed. Due to a safety precaution installed in all the Torchwood bases in case they should come under siege, the mainframe was locked for six months and only the Leader of that specific base had the passwords to unlock the seal before the six-month period had passed. Even Tosh, with all her skills, couldn't get anything other than two year old employment files, which were no use to them.

Over in the corner of the tent sat the twenty-six survivors receiving medical attention from the doctors. Soldiers had already searched the damaged tower and scanned for life signs with technology that had been salvaged from alien visitors; but they had been unable to find anyone - only the few wounded before them remained.

Jack scanned the group, looking for one person in particular; admittedly it was harder when he didn't know what the person he was searching for looked like. All the people around them were eyeing him cautiously, but none of them showed any sign of recognition when they say him. A list was shoved into Jack's hands, snapping him out of his daze. He glanced down to see that it was a list of those that were already dead, and the missing. Jack stared at the list blankly, willing something to jump out at him, but none of them meant anything - other than Hartman's. "Jack?" Tosh whispered gently when he continued to stare blankly at the list, not even flicking to the other pages. "Is he on there?" she added, reaching out and placing a hand on Jack's arm.

"I don't know Tosh," Jack whispered, unable to stop a lone tear from sliding down his cheek.

Tosh looked surprised for a moment, before the dawning fear began to show in her eyes. "I thought... I thought you might have looked him up," she confessed. "It's almost been a year; you two are practically dating long distance."

Tears were sliding down Tosh's face as Jack slowly shook his head. "I promised him," he replied. "I'd wait until he told me. It was a game of trust, but now I don't know anything about him. I don't know his name; I don't even know what he looks like."

"So, we have no way of knowing..." Tosh breathed, realisation sinking in.

Jack shook his head weakly. "He knows what I look like, Tosh. He's seen me here in the past - before we started talking – he's seen my pictures in the archives." Jack stared across at the survivors who were watching them cautiously and Tosh followed his gaze, letting out a small sob of understanding.

"If he was here, I'd be holding him already," Jack murmured.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

* * *

Ianto stared at the man walking across the Plass. It'd been a month since Canary Wharf and everyone thought he was dead. He hadn't meant to be missing for as long as he had; he'd planned to find Jack a few days after the war. But things never seemed to go to plan when he most wanted them to.

He watched as Jack pointedly ignored a gorgeous, red haired woman who tried to talk to him and kept walking, lost in his own thoughts. What was he supposed to say to him? Jack thought he was dead; if he had ever meant anything to the Captain, then he might be mourning. He knew that he needed to prove who he was to Jack; to prove that he was still alive.

He just had no idea what he could do.

Ianto had stayed on the Plass most of the day; making sure to keep out of the CCTV view so he wouldn't attract too much attention to himself. He spent all day watching the comings and goings of the various member of Jack's team. It hadn't taken him long to work out who was who, and it was interesting to see how close the ideas he'd formed in his mind really were.

They seemed like a great bunch of people, but they also seemed broken and hurting; which Ianto couldn't blame them for, considering what had happened. If he hadn't received the help he had, Ianto doubted he'd recovered as well as he had. Jack appeared to have suffered the worst after the battle. The Jack he had known used to joke with his team and flirt like the world was about to end. Ianto hadn't even seen this Jack smile; he just marched around doing his job and barking out orders. All Ianto wanted to do was fix him, but he couldn't because Jack thought he was dead.

That evening, after the others had gone home, Ianto was waiting for Jack to appear, when the SUV tore out of the Millennium Centre's car park. It only took him a few minutes to jump in his own car. He followed the SUV so close he was surprised that Jack didn't actually notice. The Captain led Ianto out a park on the outskirts of the city. Finding where Jack had run off to took a little more time; finally a roar and pained cry told Ianto where to look.

Jack was on the ground, a Weevil on top of him as it tried to sink its teeth into the Captain's neck. Ianto cursed himself for not thinking to bring a weapon and grabbed the first thing he could find; which turned out to be a large branch that was lying on the ground by his feet. The Weevil might not kill Jack permanently, he learnt that from the London archives, but he wasn't going about to stand by and watch his friend - Boyfriend? - get hurt.

Ianto slammed the stick against the Weevil's back, until it loosened its grip on Jack. When it didn't realise Jack completely, Ianto kicked it firmly in the ribs in a last ditch attempt. Ianto spared a glance at Jack, ensuring that the other man was okay, before focusing on the Weevil once more, as it climbed to its feet, snarling at Ianto before charging.

Ianto grunted from the impact of the Weevil - he was a little out of practice to be wrestling with aliens; being head archivist didn't lead to a lot of field work and, even though he went to the gym regularly, the Weevil was stronger than Ianto had anticipated. A razor sharp set of teeth were getting dangerously close to his neck, when suddenly the weight vanished as the Weevil was knocked from him.

Ianto wheezed for a moment, trying to catch his breath, before using a nearby tree to pull himself up, as Jack rushed to sedate the Weevil. Ianto glanced briefly at the stick he was still holding in his hand, before tossing it away as Jack straightened, bringing his hand up to his neck to check his injury.

Ianto watched the older man closely, making sure that he was okay as he tired to figure out what to say. He wasn't sure whether to just come out and tell Jack who he was, or to hint and hope Jack figured it out for himself. Jack looked up at him, his gaze travelling from Ianto's feet, up to his eyes; not bothering to hide his action and Ianto found himself feeling a little self conscious. Catching a Weevil hadn't been how Ianto had planned for the first time he met Jack. In his head he'd planned a dinner and his best suit. Not a pair of snug torn jeans, t-shirt and jacket. "Thanks," Ianto muttered, leaning on the tree. He kept his eyes down so he could watch Jack through his lashes and try to gage the other man's reaction. He could sense a little interest, but not much and no recognition at all.

"No, thank you," Jack replied. There was a pause and Jack pressed, "And you are?" "Jones, Ianto Jones," Ianto said, watching Jack's face, searching for any sign of recognition. He knew the London mainframe was sealed, but he'd hoped, just for a moment, that Jack had broken through or at least found another way to learn who he was.

"Nice to meet you, Jones, Ianto Jones," Jack purred, offering his hand to Ianto. "Captain Jack Harkness."

Ianto swallowed down the tinge of pain as he shook the other man's hand. Things weren't going to plan, but he couldn't say who he was. He wished he couldn't just say, 'Jack, it's me, Tag. I'm alive and well'. Instead, he continued to talk to the Captain like he was a stranger, buying himself some more time as he tried to think. "Lucky escape."

"I had it under control," Jack shrugged.

"You think so? It looked pretty vicious. You're..." He paused when he saw that the wound on Jack's neck had disappeared, leaving nothing but quick drying blood in its wake. "You _were _bleeding," Ianto corrected himself. Jack took a cautious step back, no doubt not wanting this stranger to get to close and see evidence of his secret.

"Had worse from shaving," Jack replied nonchalantly.

Ianto resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Jack was too wary of him there was no way the timing was right for him to be truthful about his identity. Jack would just rebel against the idea. Ianto would have to let the Captain work it out on his own; but he didn't know what kind of hints he'd have to give Jack to lead him to the truth?

"Looked like a Weevil to me," Ianto stated, trying to keep his voice casual. Hopefully him knowing about the alien would be a clue to Jack.

"I've no idea what you're talking about," Jack replied coolly and Ianto glanced up at him, the look on his face clearly saying he didn't believe the other man. Jack stared back at him but Ianto refused to back down.

Finally, Jack turned and picked up the Weevil. "I'll take it from here," he murmured, throwing the alien over his shoulder. "Thanks for the assistance," he added, glancing over at Ianto.

Ianto watched Jack walk away, mixed feelings swelling inside him. He knew Jack needed to leave, needed to look 'Ianto Jones' up and figure out the truth. But, at the same time it was tearing him apart to watch the man walk away from him. "Anytime," Ianto eventually murmured softly. "By the way, love the coat," he added, smiling when he saw Jack's step falter slightly, before the older man continued walking away from him.

Tomorrow he would meet Jack again and hopefully Jack would have figured out who he was by then.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

* * *

Jack stood over Tosh's shoulder, watching her work as she tried to find anything she could on Ianto Jones.

"So, this guy just turned up in the park, knew exactly what a Weevil was and you think he knew who you were as well?" Suzie asked, coming up behind them.

"Yeah," Jack replied, slightly distracted by the information running across Tosh's screen. Mr Jones had stirred his interest more than he was willing to admit and Jack knew the reason behind that his interest was mostly to do with the man's voice. He had sounded so much like Tag,but Jack knew it was only his imagination; Tag was dead and Jack had to deal with that, regardless of how much it hurt.

"What are you going to do with him?" Owen asked

Jack sighed. "Once I know who he is, I'll decide what we're going to do about him."

"He's gotten under your skin," Owen stated, a knowing tone to his voice and Jack had to grit his teeth to stop himself from retorting. Instead he pressed a button on his wrist strap out of the medic's sight, causing Owen's computer to shock him.

Having seen what Jack did Tosh giggled softly and Jack squeezed her shoulder sharing her amusement, as Suzie laughed and Owen rubbing his arm, swearing loudly.

"What have we got, then?" the Captain asked, looking down at Tosh.

"He worked for London," Tosh explained with a small shake of her head. "But, like everything to do with London, everything I can find is at least two years old."

Jack nodded his head, taking in the information she was saying. "Send this to my computer; I have a feeling I'll be seeing him again."

Jack stepped out of the tourist office on his way to meet with one of his informants, and felt a shock of surprise when he spotted a young Mr Jones standing not too far away from the door. He should have known Jones would know where their secret base was.

"Morning," Jones greeted. "Coffee?" he asked, holding up a mug full of steaming liquid; it wasn't a paper cup from a coffee shop, but an actual ceramic mug. Jack briefly checked the young man over, noting that he was wearing a similar outfit to the previous night - although it was a little less eye catching. Jones seemed more nervous and Jack had the distinct impression he was hiding something.

Jack curiously took the cup and sipped the warm, smooth beverage. He wasn't worried about poison; the man wanted something, but Jack doubted it was his death. "Wow," Jack murmured, handing the cup back to Ianto; it was some of the best coffee he'd tasted in a long time.

"I want to work for you," Jones said, not bothering to beat around the bush.

_Ah, so that's what he wanted__,_ Jack thought. "Sorry, No vacancies."

"Look, let me tell you about yourself," Jones said, and there was a desperate note to his voice.

Jack didn't have time, nor the energy to deal with him right then. There was a reason he'd gotten UNIT to help the survivors of Canary Wharf, instead of doing it himself; he couldn't handle dealing with grief and shock. He couldn't handle being with the survivors knowing that Tag wasn't one of them; knowing that the one person in the tower he cared about was gone. That feeling had only gotten worse when he had discovered Rose had been lost as well.

"Ianto Jones; born August 19 1983," Jack began reciting what he'd read earlier that morning as he brushed past the other man. "Able student but not exceptional. One minor conviction for shoplifting in your teens; number of temporary jobs, mainly a drifter, until two years ago when you joined the Torchwood Institute in London."

Jack felt the other man grab his arm and, while it would have been easy to pull free and walk off, he let the man turn him around. He found himself standing closer to the younger man than before, and if they'd met under different circumstances, Jack knew he could easily get lost in Jones. But the weren't different circumstances and he wasn't ready to let anyone near him again.

Jack stepped back, noticing that the younger man swayed slightly in an attempt to stay close to him, before he appeared to pull himself together. Jones stared up at him and Jack had the distinct impression that he was searching for something.

"You checked me out, you must know-," Jones began, but Jack cut him off.

"You knew what a Weevil was. I thought I was going to have to come and deal with you. London's records are sealed but we've still got basic employee files. I'm sorry, Mr Jones, but I don't see anything special about you," Jack said, turning and starting to walk away again.

It took Jones a little longer to gather his wits and catch up with him. Jones moved around Jack, pressing his hand against Jack's chest in an attempt to stop him. "Wait, London..."

"We're nothing to do with London; not after Canary Wharf and who they stole from me," Jack glared, fist clenched at his side, "I've severed all ties, so there's no job for you here. Not now; not ever," he hissed, pushing Jones back by the chest.

Unbeknownst to Jones, Jack had taken advantage of this small touch and discreetly placed a tracker on his jacket, just under the flap of his breast pocket where it wasn't likely to be knocked off. If the young man became much more of a problem Jack would have to deal with him, and it would be a lot easier if he knew where he was at all times.

"But..." Jones tried as Jack brushed past him.

Jack glanced over his shoulder and immediately regretted it; the shocked and crestfallen look on Jones face almost made him stop, but he didn't. He wasn't ready to forgive anyone from that place.

Later that afternoon, Jack walked back towards the tourist office after his meeting and was relieved to see there was no sign of Jones; the man seemed to have finally gotten the hint. He was just about to push the door open, when an envelope stuck to the door above the handle caught his attention. Frowning in confusion, Jack pulled it off and tore it open, revealling a piece of paper with nothing more than sixteen numbers on it.

Walking down into the Hub, Jack wracked his brain as he tried to figure out what the numbers could mean. _Maybe Tosh will be able to crack it,_he thought to himself._S__he could do with a rest from trying to __hack __into London's computer__ systems__..._

Jack paused and stared at the piece of paper in his hand, a fleeting thought that he could be holding the access code in his hands passing through his mind. He pushed the thought away with a shake of his head. _No way, that would be way too easy__, _he scolded himself_._

Quickening his pace, Jack entered through the cog door and climbed the stairs to Tosh's station.

"Is that the letter Mr Jones left on the door?" Tosh asked, eyeing the documents in Jack's hand.

"Jones left it there?" Jack asked.

Tosh nodded in confirmation taking the piece of paper from Jack. "Is this what I think it is?" she asked, a hopeful note in her voice as her eyes flickered between the computers and the paper she was holding.

"It might be," Jack conceded. "Although, how he could have it, I have no idea. Our Mr Jones gets more mysterious with every move he makes," he said, running his hand through his hair.

"Well, if this is right, we might be able to learn some more about him," Tosh theorised, entering the code into the computer and watching in amazement as the security on London's mainframe lifted. Both her and Jack watched as the computer greeted her with a cheery message, before asking for her log in details, which she quickly entered.

"I can't believe that worked," Jack muttered in amazement, watching as Tosh entered 'Ianto Jones' into the search engine. It didn't take long for the results to be displayed and she quickly pulled up his personnel form.

Tosh began to read out the details, even though she knew Jack was more than likely reading it over her shoulder. "Ianto Jones, birth date, education etc.; all stuff we already knew... Ah, here we go; employment history within Torchwood. He started off as a junior researcher, before being promoted through the levels to... Oh my god!" she exclaimed, turning to watch Jack disappear through the cog door.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

* * *

Ianto stared blankly at his empty fish tank where it sat in the corner waiting to be set up. He had no idea what was he supposed to do and unsurprisingly the empty tank wasn't giving him any answers. He wished everything had happened differently. Maybe if he'd been back sooner… Maybe if he'd found another way to escape the Cybermen… Maybe if he hadn't played that stupid game with Jack - told him who he was and what he looked like… Maybe if he'd left London and gone with Jack when he'd first offered... There were far too many 'maybes' floating around Ianto's head and not one single one of them was doing him any good.

He almost fell from his seat at the kitchen table in surprise when there was a loud pounding on his front door.

Dread immediately began to fill Ianto when he remembered that there were only a few people who knew where he lived; none of whom he was particularly keen on seeing at that particular moment. But, he also knew that he couldn't put it off, considering they were his family and had every right to be mad at him – especially after the disappearing act he'd pulled not long before.

Sighing in resignation and steeling himself, he pulled open the front door, ready to be yelled at once again. The sight that greeted him was not what he had been expecting.

Jack Harkness was standing on his doorstep; his eyes red as he panted to catch his breath. He was practically soaked to the bone from the sudden rainfall and staring at Ianto as though he'd seen a ghost.

"Jesus, Jack, you're going to freeze to death!" Ianto scolded, grabbing the other man's hand and pulling him inside. The reason behind Jack's sudden appearance never occurred to him as he focused on getting Jack warm before he got sick.

With little protest from the Captain, Ianto pulled off Jack's coat and hung it on one of the spare hooks by the door, before pulling the other man into the living room; the fire was already on and it wouldn't take long for Jack to warm up. Jack didn't say anything as Ianto worked; he merely continued to stare at the man who was taking care of him. Ianto knew that something had to have spooked the Captain - that much was obvious - but what that was and why he'd gone there, the Welshman couldn't even begin to guess. Ianto stripped Jack down to his boxers and t-shirt, and he quickly ducked into his bedroom to fetch some dry clothes the other man could wear. Grabbing a towel on his way back, he ducked back into the living room and knelt beside the Captain, handing him the dry clothes. "Get changed," he instructed. "I'll make you something warm to drink."

He got to his feet and slipped from the room before Jack could say anything – not that Ianto thought he would - and headed back into the kitchen, quickly making Jack a Cup-a-Soup; somehow he didn't think coffee was going to do the other man any good. As he waited for the soup to be ready, his mind began to wander. It had been clear that the Captain wanted nothing to do with him, so Ianto couldn't figure out why he'd arrived at his home.

When the soup was ready, Ianto walked back into the lounge to find Jack pulling on the jumper; he was already wearing the tracksuit bottoms and his wet underclothes were thrown into the corner where Ianto had put the rest earlier.

"Jack, is the team okay?" Ianto asked. When Jack looked up at him in surprise, he briefly realised he was being a little informal with a man who was his superior and who he'd only just met, but he pushed the thought aside; Jack was a mess and Ianto needed to get him to talk.

"The team's fine," Jack replied, sounding confused. His eyes scanned Ianto's face and the younger man had the feeling that Jack was looking for something.

"Then, what?" Ianto pressed. "Sir, you've made it quite obvious you want nothing to do with me, so what are you doing here?" He stood up, running a hand through his hair. He couldn't believe how hard it was being close to Jack, he just wanted to...

"Tag?" Jack's voice cut through thoughts.

Ianto froze in shock, not sure he'd actually heard what Jack had just said. Slowly he turned to face the man sitting in front of his fire staring at him with a mixture of shock, confusion and hope. "What did you call me?" Ianto whispered afraid he'd imagined it.

"Someone left us the code for London's mainframe," Jack explained. "It was Ianto Jones - London's head archivist; please tell me it's you," he begged, his voice nothing more than a whisper as he stared up at Ianto; his eyes searching and studying him.

"Jack," Ianto whispered, kneeling down in front of the Captain.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Jack asked, voice tinged with hurt but it didn't stop his hand reaching out and cupping Ianto's cheek. Softly wiping away tears of relief that were sliding down Ianto's face.

"I didn't know how," Ianto confessed, leaning closer and pressing his forehead against Jack's.

"I thought I'd lost you, it's been a month. How did you get out? Where were you?" Jack asked softly still not ready to believe what was happening.

Ianto shook his head. "Not now; later," he murmured. He didn't want to answer questions; which he didn't even know all the answers to. He just wanted to be with the man he'd come so far to be with.

They sat there in silence for a moment just taking in the sight of the other. "Ianto?" Jack whispered again and Ianto smiled nodding in encouragement his nose softly bumping against Jack's.

"Ianto," Jack repeated the name again, pulling back to look at Ianto; it almost seemed as if he were cementing the name and face in his mind forever. "It suits you." Ianto smiled and reached up, wiping the tear from Jack's cheek. "God, I really thought I'd lost you," Jack confessed. "I thought I'd never have the chance to do touch you like this."

"I'm here, Jack," Ianto assured him. "I'm here, I'm alive and safe. We can do whatever you want." A smirk tugged at the corner of Ianto's mouth and then Jack swooped in, wrapping him in his embrace and claiming his lips.

Ianto sighed with contentment, melting into the embrace as he kissed Jack back. He might have wished things had been different, but he also knew that if they had, he wouldn't be there at that moment. He wouldn't be as happy as he was. He was home and, right then, there was no other place he wanted to be.

END

AN: The next story in the series will explain how Ianto escaped from the Tower and got back to Cardiff a month later.


End file.
